If you know Midwest Radio, you know Marjorie and if you know Marjorie you know she is one of the best in the business when it comes to cooking up a storm!

For over twenty years Marjorie has brought mouth-watering menus to the airwaves on The Mid-Morning Show with Paul & Gerry and now we will bring you her monthly recipes here on midwestradio.ie each month! So bookmark the page and prepare for some fantastic recipes that bring the best of local produce all year round. 

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Strawberry and Gooseberry Jam 

Ingredients:

1kg ( about 2 ¼lb) strawberries

2kg ( about 4 ½lb) sure set sugar, or ½ + ½

1kg (about 2 ¼lb) gooseberries

About 150ml/ ¼ pint of water

Juice of 1 lemon 

Method:

1. Top tail and wash the gooseberries and place in preserving pan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until soft.
2. Hull and wash the strawberries and drain well, mash or crush ( a liquidiser may be used)
3. Add to the soft gooseberries in pan, add lemon juice now. Add the sure set sugar and heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Bring to the boil and boil for 4 minutes.
5. Pot immediately and cover in the usual way, label and date.

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Quesadillas

Ingredients:

8 flour tortillas, Small jar of salsa or passata

284g/10 oz. cooked chicken or turkey, finely sliced, Grated cheddar cheese

1 bunch spring onions (trimmed and sliced), Flat-leaved parsley or coriander

Sunflower oil or light olive oil

Method:

1. Lay 4 tortillas on a flat surface and spread each one with salsa or passata.
2. Top with equal amounts of shredded chicken or turkey, grated cheese and spring onions.
3. Scatter on some chopped flat-leaved parsley.
4. Cover with another tortilla.
5. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan and brush lightly with oil.
6. Place a quesadilla onto the hot, oiled pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until you see the cheese starting to melt.
7. Turn over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes.
8. Remove from the pan and repeat with the other 3 quesadillas.
9. Cut each quesadilla into quarters or eights, and arrange attractively on a plate and serve with extra salsa for dipping

*Quesadillas, sometimes called tostadas, are quick and easy to make, try different fillings to suit your taste -

• Spread with mango chutney instead of tomato salsa.
• Spread with cranberry sauce and use brie instead of grated cheddar, spring onions and turkey.
• Cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill, capers and a few thinly sliced slices of red onion.
• Pesto, chicken and Swiss cheese.
• Use sliced mushrooms, tomatoes and chopped chorizo. 

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Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients for Pastry (rich)

170g plain flour, plus extra for dusting,

Pinch of salt

86g/ 3oz. unsalted butter (cubed, cold) plus extra for greasing                   

30ml/ 2 tbsp. cold water 

For the filling:

86g/ 3oz. white cheddar, grated                                                                   

4 vine tomatoes, sliced

198g/ 7oz. smoked rashers; (bacon) chopped                                               

5 free range eggs, beaten

Approx. 75ml/ 2.5 fl. oz. milk                                                                        

175 ml/ 6 fl. oz. cream (double)

Salt                                                                                                                 

Freshly ground black pepper

2 sprigs of fresh thyme 

Pre-heat the oven at 190^OC/375^oF/Gas 5

Method:

1. Make the pastry the usual way, then leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Roll out the pastry on a light floured surface and use to line a 19 cm/ 7 ½ inch well-buttered flan dish. Chill again.

3. Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Place on a baking tray and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and the parchment and return to the oven for another 5 minutes to cook the base.

4. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160^oC/325^oF/Gas 3. Sprinkle the cheese into the pastry base and add the sliced tomatoes.

5. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp, drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle them over the top of the cheese and tomato.

6. Whisk the eggs, milk and cream in a bowl and season well with salt and black pepper. Pour this liquid over the bacon and cheese.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set further. If not already trimmed, trim the pastry edges to get a perfect edge and then serve in wedges.

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Berry Cake

Ingredients:

170g/6 oz. butter

227g/ 8 oz. blueberries, dessert gooseberries, raspberries or redcurrants

227g/8 oz. self-raising flour, sieved    

170g/ 6 oz. soft brown sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

Zest and juice of 1 orange 

Method:

1.Pre-heat oven to 180^oC/ 350^oF/Gas 4.

2. Grease and base line a 20cm/ 8” spring sided tin

3.Top and tail the berries in a bowl.

4.Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gently mix in the eggs and flour alternatively. Fold in the orange zest, juice and lightly floured berries.

5. Place the mixture into the tin.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 mins – 1 hour. Cool for a few minutes before un-moulding.  

*If wished, decorate with whole poached berries on top and dust with a little sieved icing sugar.

Serve this deliciously moist cake as a pudding while it is still warm or cold with whipped cream.

If wished, place half the cake mixture in the tin, then scatter over the chosen fruit and top with the remaining cake mixture.

*Marjorie’s Tip

Top and tail the fruit, if necessary. Rinse and dry the fruit.  Dust with flour to prevent the fruit from sinking. 

 

FOR MORE, CLICK HERE FOR MARJORIE'S WEBSITE http://brigownbandb.ie/